Geoffrey Doback has no doubts of where he wants his career ambitions to take him. The 91ΒιΆΉΣ³»student has been captivated by aviation and the so-called next frontier ever since he was a young boy.
βMy first experience with aviation was at an air show when I was 7 years old. I was obsessed after that,β said Doback. βThen I got into rockets because itβs the next level, and the engine is always what intrigued me the most.β
Now a junior, Doback was determined to find a summer internship that would enable him to put one foot at the door of the aerospace industry. With his eyes on the prize, Doback says he sent 120 applications, spent more than 100 hours working on his resume, and messaged recruiters more than 200 times. In the end, the intense five-month effort paid off.
βIβm going to work at the NASA facility where they build rocket engines. Itβs my dream place,β said Doback, who is majoring in mechanical engineering. βIβm still in disbelief.β
Doback will be interning at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, as a thermal analyst working with the SLS (Space Launch System) Rocket. Heβll be helping with the verification of the propulsion systems, and will also be doing structural and dynamic analysis on the rocketβs liquid hydrogen fuel tank, which is 180 feet tall.
βThis is the new rocket that in 2024 will be taking humans to the moon and after that, itβs going to Mars,β he explained. βIβm so excited to be a part of that goal.β
Doback has had an outstanding journey at 91ΒιΆΉΣ³» Poly thus far. He has won the prestigious HAYS Travel Award for two consecutive years for his cutting-edge research on diatoms. He has also excelled as a teaching assistant for almost two years. The Tampa, 91ΒιΆΉΣ³», native said that his experience at the University and the support he receives from his professors were essential to getting this once-in-a lifetime opportunity.
βI talk to my professors daily. I like that I can come up the stairs and knock on their door,β he said. βIt has helped me tremendously.β
The three-month, fully paid internship begins in early June. Since receiving the good news, Doback has been reading and studying everything about rocket engines he can get his hands on. Heβs also been practicing with the software heβll be using at NASA, some of which are available at 91ΒιΆΉΣ³» Poly.
βI want to be prepared when I get there, so Iβm not like a fish out of water,β said Doback. βI want to make an impression, not be just another intern. I want to stand out and hopefully make a good name for 91ΒιΆΉΣ³» Poly.β
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Lydia Guzman
Assistant Director of Communications
863-874-8557